TY - JOUR
T1 - Enhancement of late successional plants on ex-arable land by soil inoculations
AU - Carbajo, V.
AU - Den Braber, B.
AU - Van der Putten, W.H.
AU - De Deyn, G.B.
N1 - Reporting year: 2011
Metis note: 5042; WAG; TE
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Restoration of species-rich grasslands on ex-arable land can help the conservation of biodiversity but faces three big
challenges: absence of target plant propagules, high residual soil fertility and restoration of soil communities. Seed
additions and top soil removal can solve some of these constraints, but restoring beneficial biotic soil conditions remains a
challenge. Here we test the hypotheses that inoculation of soil from late secondary succession grasslands in arable receptor
soil enhances performance of late successional plants, especially after top soil removal but pending on the added dose. To
test this we grew mixtures of late successional plants in arable top (organic) soil or in underlying mineral soil mixed with
donor soil in small or large proportions. Donor soils were collected from different grasslands that had been under
restoration for 5 to 41 years, or from semi-natural grassland that has not been used intensively. Donor soil addition,
especially when collected from older restoration sites, increased plant community biomass without altering its evenness. In
contrast, addition of soil from semi-natural grassland promoted plant community evenness, and hence its diversity, but
reduced community biomass. Effects of donor soil additions were stronger in mineral than in organic soil and larger with
bigger proportions added. The variation in plant community composition was explained best by the abundances of
nematodes, ergosterol concentration and soil pH. We show that in controlled conditions inoculation of soil from secondary
succession grassland into ex-arable land can strongly promote target plant species, and that the role of soil biota in
promoting target plant species is greatest when added after top soil removal. Together our results point out that
transplantation of later secondary succession soil can promote grassland restoration on ex-arable land.
AB - Restoration of species-rich grasslands on ex-arable land can help the conservation of biodiversity but faces three big
challenges: absence of target plant propagules, high residual soil fertility and restoration of soil communities. Seed
additions and top soil removal can solve some of these constraints, but restoring beneficial biotic soil conditions remains a
challenge. Here we test the hypotheses that inoculation of soil from late secondary succession grasslands in arable receptor
soil enhances performance of late successional plants, especially after top soil removal but pending on the added dose. To
test this we grew mixtures of late successional plants in arable top (organic) soil or in underlying mineral soil mixed with
donor soil in small or large proportions. Donor soils were collected from different grasslands that had been under
restoration for 5 to 41 years, or from semi-natural grassland that has not been used intensively. Donor soil addition,
especially when collected from older restoration sites, increased plant community biomass without altering its evenness. In
contrast, addition of soil from semi-natural grassland promoted plant community evenness, and hence its diversity, but
reduced community biomass. Effects of donor soil additions were stronger in mineral than in organic soil and larger with
bigger proportions added. The variation in plant community composition was explained best by the abundances of
nematodes, ergosterol concentration and soil pH. We show that in controlled conditions inoculation of soil from secondary
succession grassland into ex-arable land can strongly promote target plant species, and that the role of soil biota in
promoting target plant species is greatest when added after top soil removal. Together our results point out that
transplantation of later secondary succession soil can promote grassland restoration on ex-arable land.
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0021943
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0021943
M3 - Article
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 6
JO - PLoS One
JF - PLoS One
IS - 7
M1 - e21943
ER -